How To Cure Hams Recipes

HOMEMADE CURED & SMOKED HAM WITH PINEAPPLE GLAZE

Steps:

• CURE:
• In a large bowl or pot, whisk together PS Complete Ham Cure and water to create a brine.
• Remove 13 ounces of brine and inject it into the ham, being sure to inject around the bone. It is important to inject the amount of brine equal to 10 to 15% of the ham's weight, into the flesh of the ham.
• Place ham in a large pot with lid and pour the remaining brine around the ham. The ham should be completely submerged in the brine. Cover with plastic wrap, and press down on the ham, then cover with a lid. Refrigerate the ham in the brine for 2-4 days (we recommend one day for every 2 lbs. ).
• After 4 days, remove the ham from the brine, and soak in cold water for 2 hours, changing out cold water after 1 hour. (Note: Another way to lower the sodium content of the ham is to refresh the water more frequently. For a less salty ham, change the water ever 30 minutes for 2 hours). Remove the ham from the water, place it in a glass baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• SMOKING:
• Remove the ham from the refrigerator, uncover, and blot dry with paper towels.Preheat the smoker to 130° F.
• Place the ham in a stockinette and hang it from 2 hooks latched onto 2 stacked top grates. Add ⅔ pan of moistened sawdust and smoke for 3 hours, with dampers ⅓ open.
• After 3 hours, remove the pan of charred sawdust, then add another pan of moistened sawdust on the burner. Increase the temperature to 160° F and smoke for another 3 hours.
• After 3 hours, remove the sawdust pan and close dampers. Increase the temperature to 185° F, and cook until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 150° F.
• Remove ham from the smoker, then refrigerate overnight, or freeze for future use. Note: A fresh, bone-in ham will take approximately 1 hour 20 minutes per pound to smoke at temperatures listed above.
• BAKING & GLAZING:
• Preheat the oven to 325°F. To heat the ham, place it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, and bake uncovered. For a whole ham, allow 15 to 18 minutes to the pound; for a half, 18 to 24 minutes per pound. The ham will be ready when the internal temperature reaches 140°F.
• Remove ham from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to roasting. Remove stockinette, then score the ham's fat cap, creating a cross-hatch/diamond-cut look.
• If you're one of those types who like their hams plain, then you can slice and eat as is after letting your ham rest in the refrigerator overnight. Or dice it up and toss it in your favorite soups, egg dishes, and more.
• If you want to take it to the next level, we recommend baking and glazing with a sweet glaze, like this Citrus, Pineapple & Tequila Glaze version with pineapple juice, brown sugar, orange marmalade, a hint of tequila, and fresh lime juice.

HOME-CURED HOLIDAY HAM

Steps:

• Place kosher salt, brown sugar, pickling spice, and pink salt in a container large enough to hold the brine and the ham.
• Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and pour over the brine ingredients; whisk to dissolve. Pour in 1 gallon fresh cold water to cool down the mixture.
• Score the skin side of the pork roast with a sharp knife. Cut into the fat beneath the skin but not into the meat. Score about 1 inch apart, then score in the opposite direction to get the classic diamond-shaped pattern.
• Lower scored roast into the cooled brine, skin side up. Use a plate to weigh down the roast so that it cures fully submerged in the liquid. Refrigerate for 1 day for every 2 pounds of pork (for a 7 pound roast, cure for at least 2 1/2 days). Turn the roast over halfway through the brining process.
• Remove roast from brining liquid. Discard the brining liquid and transfer the roast back to the brining container. Cover the roast with fresh cold water to rinse off some of the salt. Depending on how salty you want your ham, you can soak it for just a few minutes or overnight. Remove roast from the water and blot dry with paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add a cup of water to a roasting pan with 2 whole star anise. Place roast on a rack in the roasting pan.
• Roast until ham reaches an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees F, about 2 hours. Ham will not be fully cooked at this point. If water has nearly evaporated, add a splash more. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Continue to roast until skin is browned and crispy and ham reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees F.
• To make the optional glaze, mix the mustard, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and salt together in a bowl. Brush glaze on the ham at this point, not before. Return roast to oven for about 5 minutes to crisp it even further.

HOW TO CURE HAMS

Steps:

• Use only corn fed hogs.
• Mix the last three ingredients thoroughly and rub over the hams (being certain to get plenty in the hock) and let stand for 24 hours.
• Then rub the meat with the remaining salt and pepper.
• Let stand for five days and then rub meat again with fine salt.
• Set aside in a cool place for 30 days (a good curing temperature is approximately 40F).
• At the end of that time, hang the meat up and brush off salt.
• Have hams smoked at a good smoke house, smoking them for ten days with hickory or apple wood.
• When finished, dust entire surface of hams with ground red pepper; wrap carefully in brown paper, followed with muslin bags.
• Hang up with the hock down.
• Hams prepared in this manner will keep indefinitely, and flavor and quality improves with time.

SUGAR CURE FOR PORK, BACON, HAM

Steps:

• Double this mix as much as you have meat.
• Weigh down meat so that it remains covered.
• Be sure to boil plent of water day before so it is good and cold.
• Put your meat in wood barrels or vinegar stone crocks.
• Leave small boned meat chunks submerged for 2 days.
• Bacon submerged for 4 days.
• Cut hams and shoulders 14 days.
• Whole hams 21 days.
• Storage area must be extremely cold, but not freezing to prevent fermentation.
• After submersion, run thick thread through corner of meats and hang in smokehouse.